PARENTS RESPONSIBILITY TO THEIR CHILDREN
The family has always been God’s idea and business which he takes very serious. Bringing forth a child confers on every parent a huge responsibility. It is like having clay in your hands and waiting for you to mould it to a form and a shape of your choice. The destination of your child, who your child ends up becoming tomorrow, depends on how serious you take your role as a parent. So many parents give excuses for their failure to peer pressures and environmental influences but we must also know that many children have come out as shining stars, bringing joy to their parents and society with the same influences and pressures all around them.
God made it that parents will be older, more mature and experienced than their children so that the parents can carry out some meaningful roles. Some of the godly roles as a parent include:
1) Leadership – A leader is one who knows the way, shows the way and also goes that way. God said of Abraham in Gen 18:19; that he chose him because he is confident that Abraham will lead his children after him. God expects us to lead them to the path of Christ and life (righteousness, humility, integrity, respect, diligence and good conducts etc). Let your children see you following Christ Jesus and not just the church. Joel 1:3, Deut 4:9, Deut 11:9.
2) Protection- Children are weak, inexperienced and helpless sometimes; God placed them in our care as parents to protect them. There are so many lions out in the society in different forms that want to destroy them and steal them away from the divine destinies. It is our core responsibility to see that the destinies of our children are guarded and guided till they become the true people that God created them to be. Matthew 18:6. 2 Samuel 12:16
3) Provision- Every child comes to the world empty handed. The major thing a child lays claim on is his parent. Every other thing is provided by the parents. Parents should meet the needs of their children till they become stronger to provide for themselves. The provisions of shelter, food, clothing and good education are the basic needs but so many parents neglect the emotional, psychological and spiritual needs of their children too. In fact these are the utmost areas of importance in raising our children. Our children need our presence in the home because this gives them confidence. They need our listening ears to their stories as well as their worries. They need our wise counsel, love, encouragement and praise. 1 Timothy 5:8.
4) Discipline – our children know little about life compared to their parents and often they behave ignorantly. It is expected of us as godly parents to instruct and discipline our children because when they are good children the praise goes to you as the parent first and when they are bad the shame rest on you too. The rod of correction is an important tool to use with love and with the motive to correct and bring out the best in the child. We must also be patient with our children while correcting them and also allow them to see our sincere heart of love for them even when we correct them. Proverb 23:13, Prov 19:18, Prov 29:17, Heb 12:7
Beloved if you have forsaken your child please go back to your child and begin your godly work on him or her. If you are the child and you have abandoned your parents, this is not the time to blame anyone but a time to go back to your root and family. God placed you in that home to build and strengthen one another in love and harmony. I pray for the healing of many broken homes and i pray for peace, joy and success in these families now in Jesus name. Amen.
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NNAEMEKA DURUEKE
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